Refrigerator



E. O. SEARS REFRIGERATOR Feb. 21, 1950 Filed May 11, 1946 INVENTOR-Edward O Sears ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1959 UNITED STATES PAT VREFRIGERATOR Edward Oneal Sears, Oakland, Calif., assignor to June SearsWhite, Oakland, Calif.

Application May; 11, 1946, Serial No. 669,005

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in refrigerators, and hasparticular reference to the construction of a frozen food cabinet,although the principles involved may be usedxin other refrigeratorsin'which the evaporator is mounted in the side walls of the cabinet. M

More particularly it is proposed to provide a wall construction for acabinet of the character described in which the evaporator coil may belowered into a hollow space in the side wall as a unit, and may be heldin place by a suitable cement, which can be applied by a simple pouringoperation.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a preformed coil madeof a single length of tubing which is bent and twisted into the desiredshape without any undue bending or twisting stresses, and which mayreadily be stretched or contracted in the manner of an accordion toprovide a desired degree of cooling effect.

It is further proposed to provide a simple method of making a coil ofthe character de-. scribed.

And finally it is proposed to provide afrozen food cabinet constructionwhich can be assembled by unskilled labor with a minimum of efiort, inwhich there are no hidden joints, and which can be manufacturedeconomically and in such a manner as to insure perfect heat exchange.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as thespecification proceeds, and the new and useful features of myconstruction will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates the first step in making the coil by winding a tubeupon a mandrel, the latter being shown in side elevation;

Figure 2 illustrates the same step in end elevation;

Figure 3 shows a portion of the coil in final form;

Figure 4 illustrates one step in the development of the coil;

Figure 5 shows a vertical section through a cabinet made in accordancewith my invention, certain portions being broken away;

Figure 6, a horizontal section on a reduced scale taken along line 66 ofFigure 5; and I Figure 7, an isometric view of a completed cabinet, ofslightly different form, portions being broken away.

2 While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it shouldbe understood that various changes or modification may be made withinthe scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my" coil I is made of a singlelength of tubing, which latter is preferably made of "copper or similarmaterial.

As a first step, I wind the tubing upon a mandrel 2, which issubstantially eliptical in cross section, and having parallel side edges3' and curved or semi-circular upper'and lower edges 4; the total heightof the mandrel corresponding substantially to the height of the chamberin which the coil is to be installed, and the width of the mandrelcorresponding substantially to the desired spacing between the verticalstrands of the finished coil.

After the tubing has thus been wound, in the manner shown in Figures 1and 2,,the mandrel is removed from within the 'coil.

Next, the operator grips, with one hand, the upper curved end 5 of thefirst turn, and with the other hand, the lower curved end 6 of the sameturn, and revolves the upper end about the intervening vertical strand 1through an angle of degrees, thereby bringing the upper end into thetransverse plane of the lower end, as illustrated in Figure 4. i

The entire turning movement thus takes place in the intervening verticalstrand l, which is amply capable of withstanding the twisting stress.

In the second step the operator retains his hold on the lower curved end5 and, gripping the next upper end with his free hand, revolves thelower end about the second upright strand 8 through an angle of 180degrees in the reversedirection, thus bringing the upper and lower endsof the first turn into the transverse plane of the upper end of thesecond turn.

Continuing this operation of alternately revolving the free end of thetubing about the pivotal uprights in opposite directions, the operatorfinally arrives at the wave shape shown in Figure 3, in which all thecurved upper and lower ends 5 and 6 lie in the same plane and all theupright strands 1 and 8 are substantially parallel.

It will be readily understood that the overall. length of the coil, orthat of any intermediate section thereof, may be easily expanded orCD11". tracted in the manner of an accordion. Again,

'while originally the entire coil stretches in a single plane, it may bereadily turned to any desired box-like shape by again using the verticalstrands 1 and 8 as pivot members.

Thus, if the coil is to be used in connection with a rectangular cabinethaving a hollow wall, the operator may measure off the lengths of thefour walls against the coil, select properly spaced uprights for cornerpieces, and turn the coil on these uprights to produce a rectanglesimilar to that of the cabinet, and adapted to be lowered into thehollow wall as a unit.

In actual manufacturing, these dimensions will, of course, bepredetermined, and the coil will be laid out to fit a cabinet; of a,pre-determined size.

The two ends of the coil should. be made to. emerge from the squareformation in adjacent and parallel relation, as shown at l0.

In making the cabinet, the operator proceeds as follows:

.I-Ie first places a rectangular or square frame ll. on the floor or anyother supporting. surface, the frame beingpreferably made. ofv wood-. A

second frame I2;.is. then placed ontop of the first d frame so as toleave an inside ledge l3 and. an outside. ledge M, the second framebeing. of much smaller cross-section.

Next, the operator places a rectangular shell l5 ofsheet metal on theinner ledge, the; bottom. edge of the shell fitting against the frame.L2 and being securedthereto. A second shell .ot. slightly largerdimensions is. telescoped. over the first shell to rest on the frame I2,and is. provided. with a bottom flange H- which may be. nailed tov theframe.

The two shells thus form a hollow wall, the spacing between the shellsbeing. slightly inex.- cess of thethickness of thetube-to be used.. Theupper end of the outer shell. p'rojectsv slightly beyond that of theinner shell; asindicated in dotted. lines at I8.

The @011 I, having previously. been. made...in.-the manner hereinabovedescribed, isfthen lowered into the square or chamber between theLtwo.shells,.as in the position shown. in. Figure. ,5, with the two ends l0.projecting upward.

Next cement is applied.-'to. fill in the. space. around, the. coil..This. cementshould be-prepared. to have. heat-conducting properties,becausea. certain amount will work in.betwe.enthecoiL and. the innershell. Itmay'beeasily applied by pouring, since the. projecting upper,end. ofthe. outer shell vservesas a retaining walL.

After the chamber 'or space containing, the. coil has. been. filled.with cement, and. the latter hasset, the projections l8, are turned.dowrn on the chamber so astoform a cover for. thecemht, asshown.

Thereupon,. a. third shell 20,. of. considerably. larger dimensions, andpreferably made oflst'ain less. steel, is telescoped over theassemblythus. far described, and. is secured upon the outside of the.frame. ll.

This shell -forms.a. Wide rectangular .cham her. 2], with the shell.structure. previously. described. and. also, projects upward1y,.beyondfthe shell. structure a considerable distance. .All' of. the; space isfilled with suitable insulating mate rial 22, and finally. atop-sheet Z3is securedupon. the rim of the outer shell to cover the insulating,material, the two ends I 0.0f the;coil beingmade to extend through thetopsheet- .The. entire structure shown. in.Figure,5. isthen. turnedupside.. down..and is..placed 011a suitable supporting frame 24 in whichthe refrigerating apparatus (not shown) is housed, the two ends l0 ofthe evaporator coil extending into thesupporting frame ready forconnection with the refrigeration circuit.

It will be noted that all of the operations herein described; thewinding of the tube on the mandrel, the opening of the windings intowave-shape, as shown in Figure 3, the bending of the coil into a squareor rectangle, and the lowering of the completed coil into the shellstructure, are simple in character, require no skilled labor, and canbe. carried out at little expense.

The bending and twisting stresses involved are such as to be readilyassumed by the material, and there are nojoints in the entireevaporator.

The number of turns of coil necessary for the size of the cabinet willdepend upon desired heat exchange effects, but it will be readily seenthat the coil may be easily contracted or expanded to meet desiredcondition-s.

In most operations, the coilfwill, of course, be properly dimensioned tofit intothe shell structure, with upright strands occupying the cornersof the. shell structure, as shown.

I claim:

1. A. structure for a. refrigerator, comprising a flat bottom framehaving a rectangular opening, a second frame superimposedthereon anddimensionedI to. recede. from the inner and outer edges ing a dooropening for the structure When the,

latter. is turned. upside down.

2. A structure. as defined in .claim. 1,. in which the coil' is made inone piece and shaped for lowering into the. first. chamberasa unit.

3'. Astructure asdefined. in claim 1,. in. which. the coil-is made inone piece andshapedfor lower-- ingintothe first chamber as a unit,.anclhaspar allel ends projecting upward. from the chamber. in closely spacedrelation so as to. extend downwardlyupon r'eversingthe structure. 1

4. Astructure as defined. in claim 1, in whichthecoilcomprises a singletubebent' to. present a. continuous. wave formation. withverticalstretches alternating with curved top and bot-- tom stretches.and with selected vertical stretches disposed. in the. corners of. the.chamber.

' EDWARD ONEAL.v SEARS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references: are of record inthe fileofthis. patent:

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